Friday, May 13, 2016

And the winners of the falcon naming contest are......

Hecate and Squid!

We are proud to announce the winners of our falcon naming contest. They are: Melissa Barbieri of Muskego and Sara Martinez of Milwaukee.

Port Washington peregrine falcon chicks.

Barbieri chose the name Hecate (pronounced HECK-uh-tee), for the Greek goddess of justice. “The goddess was the patron of justice for the wronged and also the patron of the crossroads, which is where the falcons were before we decided to help,” said Barbieri. “I think this name is a testament to humanity righting a wrong in the world.”

Martinez chose the name Squid as a tribute to her brother, Dennis “Squid” Falcon, an Iraqi war veteran. “My brother came home honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy, diagnosed with cancer,” wrote Martinez. “After he beat his illness, he was hit on his bike by a drunk driver and should’ve died. He fought like only a falcon could.” So why “Squid”? It is a common nickname for sailors in the U.S. Navy. (Isn’t it ironic that his last name is Falcon, too?)

We received approximately 200 entries in our naming contest. Originally, the winning names were slated for the chicks at our Valley Power Plant in downtown Milwaukee. Unfortunately, that nest site failed this year. The four eggs that were laid never hatched. So, Hecate and Squid will be reserved for the two chicks born at our Port Washington Generating Station. Martinez and Barbieri will get to meet the chicks in person when they receive their wildlife bands. Our peregrine manager, Greg Septon, will band the chicks on May 24.

Thank you to all who entered our naming contest. There were many creative suggestions. We were thrilled to get such a great response.